CN111417578A

CN111417578A - System and method for optimizing the height of a transport container

Info

Publication number: CN111417578A
Application number: CN201880076861.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 乌韦·克拉纳; 雷米·帕里斯; 让·伊夫·西亚
Original assignee: Ranpak Corp
Current assignee: Ranpak Corp
Priority date: 2017-11-27
Filing date: 2018-11-27
Publication date: 2020-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 2038-11-27
Also published as: US20220340313A1; BR112020010474A2; WO2019104321A1; US11414223B2; CN111417578B; AU2018373384B2; EP3717361A1; KR20200067894A; ES2965541T3; AU2018373384A1; EP3717361B9; JP7164620B2; JP2021504261A; EP3717361B1; CA3083339C; KR102475117B1; US20200283175A1; CA3083339A1; AU2018373384C1

Abstract

A system for closing a shipping container having a rectangular bottom wall, vertical side walls extending from the periphery of the bottom wall, and an open top end includes a slide capable of moving the container between a first station and a second station spaced from the first station, and a flap folding assembly movable with the slide. The flap folding assembly is configured to fold the flaps of the container inwardly as the slider moves the container between the first and second stations.

Description

System and method for optimizing the height of a transport container

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a system and method for optimizing the height of a shipping container, and may include a system and method for forming a custom flap based on the height of the contents.

Background

During transport of an article from one location to another, protective packaging material is typically placed in the transport box or case to fill any voids or to cushion the article during transport. These packaging materials may also be referred to as "pads" or "pad products. To reduce or eliminate the amount of padding required to protect the transported items and optimize shipping volume, devices and techniques have been developed to reduce the height of the containers (typically cartons) closer to the height of the contents. The shipping containers are typically formed from corrugated cardboard. An exemplary shipping container 20 is shown in fig. 1 having a rectangular bottom wall, an open top side through which shipping items are placed in the container 20 and which must then be closed for shipping, and vertical side walls extending from the perimeter of the bottom wall.

A typical prior art system 25 is schematically shown in fig. 2. The conveyor 26, under the control of a controller 32, moves the containers 20 sequentially through a plurality of

stations

27, 28, 29, 30 and 31. The level of the contents of the container 20 is sensed at a first station 27 and the container 20 is moved to a second station 28 where a vertical slit of the desired height is formed in the corner of the container 20 at the second station 28 and then a horizontal fold line is formed in the side wall of the container 20 at a third station 29 to create a flap which can be folded inwardly onto the contents. The flaps are folded inwardly at a fourth station 30 and then a lid is placed on top of the flaps at a fifth station 31 to close the container 20, see for example U.S. patent application publication No. 2009/0031676a 1.

An exemplary lid blank 33 is shown in fig. 3, the lid blank 33 having a rectangular main body portion 34 sized to cover the open top side of the container 20 and respective pairs of

flaps

35 and 36 extending from the main body portion 34 that fold down over the side walls of the container 20 to form a lid that is secured to the container 20 to hold the lid in place for shipping. The lid blank 33 optionally includes fold lines formed between the body portion 34 and the

flaps

35 and 36.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention provides an improved system and method for optimizing the height of a shipping container based on the height of the contents by, for example, minimizing the size of the open-top shipping container and the time and number of stations required to close the container by forming flaps on the open top side of the container based on the height of the contents and then folding the flaps inwardly while advancing the container. The open top side of the container may be closed by flaps or by attaching a separate lid on the open top side of the container. Another aspect of the present invention provides a unique assembly for forming a height flap in a shipping container based on the height of the container contents, which assembly is adjustable to accommodate different sized containers. By moving the container through the system while folding the flaps inwardly, the present invention provides a system that reduces or minimizes the size of the system and the time required to close the container.

More particularly, the present invention provides a system for closing a shipping container having an open top end, the system including a slide capable of moving the container between a first station and a second station spaced from the first station, and a flap folding assembly movable with the slide. The flap folding assembly is configured to fold the flaps of the container inwardly as the slider moves the container between the first and second stations. The first station may be a flap forming station where flaps are formed on the vertical side walls of the container and the second station may be a capping station where the lid is applied to the inwardly folded flaps and secured to the container. Alternatively, if the inwardly folded flaps meet or overlap at the center and close the open top side, no separate cover is required and the second station may secure the flaps in a closed, folded configuration, such as with tape, applying adhesive, heating to activate pre-applied adhesive, stapling, stitching, etc., or the second station may provide a shipping label.

The first station may include a flap forming assembly configured to form a flap from a sidewall of a container having a bottom wall and an upright sidewall extending from a periphery of the bottom wall to define an enclosed space having an upwardly open top end. The second station may be a container closing station and optionally include a lid assembly configured to apply a lid to close the container, wherein the container has an upwardly open top end.

A flap fold assembly for use with a rectangular container having an open side defined by upwardly projecting flaps may include: (a) a slider movable along a path extending in an axial direction; and (b) an opposing flap closer coupled to and moving with the slider. The flap closures may be spaced apart along the path and may be moved towards each other to fold the flaps of the container inwardly.

The flap closure may include an axial flap closure and a transverse flap closure coupled to the slider to move with the slider. The lateral flap closures may be spaced apart on opposite lateral sides of the path and may be moved toward each other to fold the flaps inwardly parallel to the axial direction.

The flap closure is vertically adjustable relative to the slider.

Another system for closing a transport container may include a first station, a second station spaced from the first station, a slide for moving the container from the first station to the second station, and a glue assembly movable relative to the slide and the container. The glue assembly is configured to apply adhesive to the sidewall of the container as the slider moves from the second station to the first station to subsequently attach the article to the sidewall of the container, the glue assembly preferably being mounted to the slider for movement therewith.

A method for adjusting the height of an open-top, generally rectangular shipping container having four vertical sidewalls connected at intersecting corners where adjacent sidewalls meet, the method may include the steps of: (a) detecting the height of the highest item in the shipping container; (b) positioning a cutting blade above the container proximate the corner and a predetermined distance from one of the side walls, the cutting blade having a cutting edge in a non-horizontal orientation; and (c) moving the cutting insert a distance downward based on the detected height. In the moving step, the side wall is cut by engaging the side wall with different portions of the cutting edge in sequence using the cutting edge of the cutting insert, wherein the cutting insert moves outward in one direction during cutting.

The method may further comprise the step of joining adjacent side walls at respective corners in the transport container where adjacent vertical side walls of the container meet.

In a system for forming a flap in an open-top, generally rectangular container having four vertical sidewalls connected at respective corners where adjacent sidewalls meet, wherein the container is supported by a container support. The system may include: (a) a frame supporting a movable structure above the container support, the movable structure being vertically movable downward relative to the container support; (b) four cutting assemblies connected to the movable structure to move therewith, each cutting assembly comprising: (i) a cutting blade support, (ii) a container stabilizer coupled to the cutting blade support, the container stabilizer configured to engage a respective sidewall of the container proximate a respective corner where the respective sidewall and an adjacent sidewall of the container meet to limit displacement movement of the container during a cutting operation; and (iii) a cutting blade coupled to the cutting blade support such that when the container stabilizer engages the container, the cutting blade is positioned a predetermined distance from the container stabilizer such that the cutting blade cuts the adjacent sidewall when the movable structure moves downward.

The container stabilizer may comprise two container stabilizers arranged at right angles to each other to engage with the respective side wall and the adjacent side wall, respectively.

The cutting insert support is movable relative to the movable structure between an operative position and a reset position outwardly remote from the operative position.

Another system for forming a flap in an open-top, generally rectangular container having four vertical sidewalls may include: a frame assembly vertically movable relative to the container support; and four fold line forming assemblies connected to the frame assembly and configured to form horizontal fold lines on respective side walls of the container. The fold line forming assembly may be mounted to the frame assembly so as to be adjustable in respective orthogonal directions to accommodate a range of container sizes.

The fold line forming assembly may be configured to form at least two fold lines simultaneously.

In a method of adjusting a system for forming strakes in an open-top, generally rectangular shipping container having four vertical sidewalls for different sized containers, the system may comprise: a frame assembly vertically movable relative to the container support; and four fold line forming assemblies connected to the frame assembly to form horizontal fold lines in respective side walls of the container. Each fold line forming assembly may comprise opposing horizontal fold line forming members which are movable towards and away from each other to grip the side walls therebetween to form a horizontal fold line which facilitates folding of an upper portion of the side walls above the fold line from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation relative to a lower portion of the side walls below the fold line. The method may comprise the steps of: (a) moving at least two fold line forming assemblies in a direction towards or away from each other on the frame assembly to accommodate different sizes of shipping containers; and (b) replacing opposing fold line forming members in the two fold line forming assemblies to provide a fold line forming member extending the width of the side wall of the container in which the fold line is to be formed.

The system can include a sensor for detecting the height of the tallest item in the container, and the sensor can include a pressure panel horizontally supported by the frame assembly, the pressure panel configured to be received in the shipping container. Thus, the method may further comprise the step of replacing the pressure panel with a pressure panel configured to be received in a different sized container.

In another method of adjusting a system for forming strakes in an open-top, generally rectangular shipping container having four vertical sidewalls for different sized containers, the system may comprise: a frame assembly vertically movable relative to a support for the container; and four flap forming assemblies connected to the frame assembly to cut the sidewalls of the container adjacent respective corners to form flaps. Each wing cutting assembly includes a container stabilizer for engaging a respective sidewall of the container and a cutting blade positionable to vertically cut the sidewall of the container a predetermined distance from an adjacent sidewall of the container as the frame assembly moves downwardly. The method may comprise the steps of: (a) moving the cutting blade from a reset position spaced from the container to a cutting position in which the cutting blade is directly above a sidewall of the container; and (b) adjusting the cutting position to accommodate different sizes of shipping containers.

In a system for forming a flap in an open-top container, the container has a rectangular bottom wall and four vertical side walls extending from the periphery of the bottom wall and forming corners where adjacent side walls meet. The vessel being supported by a support, the flap forming system may include: (a) a frame supporting a movable structure, the movable structure being vertically movable relative to a support of the container; (b) a sensor coupled to the frame for detecting a height of a highest item in the container on the support; (c) four cutting assemblies connected to the movable structure to move with the movable structure to form vertical cuts in the sidewall near each corner of the container, the depth of cut being determined by the height of the highest object detected in the container; and (d) four fold line forming assemblies connected to the movable structure to move together with the movable structure to form horizontal fold lines on respective sidewalls of the container at the same height determined according to the detected height of the highest object in the container.

The frame may comprise a motor for moving the movable structure. The motor may include a servo motor and an encoder coupled to a controller configured to determine a height of a highest object in the container based on data from the encoder. The system may include a controller in communication with the motor and the sensor, the controller suspending the motor from further downward movement of the support structure after receiving a signal from the sensor.

The sensor may comprise a rectangular plate suspended below the movable structure, the rectangular plate being smaller than a bottom wall of the container so as to be accommodated in the container; and an indicator configured to output a signal when the rectangular plate contacts a highest object in the container.

The cutting and crease line forming assemblies may be interspersed within a common horizontal cross-sectional area and sensors may also be located in that area.

The system may include a controller in communication with the sensor to control movement of the movable structure in response to the detected height.

The cutting assembly may comprise two cutting blades in each of two parallel planes, the planes being spaced apart by a distance less than the width of the container.

The cutting insert may have a cutting edge inclined with respect to a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

Another method for closing an open-top, generally rectangular container having four vertical sidewalls joined at respective corners where adjacent sidewalls meet may include the steps of: the one or more flaps of the container are folded inwardly as the container is moved between the first station and the second station.

The moving step may include moving a first container from the first station to the second station and simultaneously moving a second container to the first station.

The folding step may include adjusting the height of the flap folder based on a predetermined height of the highest product in the container.

The method may further comprise the steps of: adhesive is applied to the container adjacent the fold line as the slider is moved axially to a position adjacent the container.

The folding step may comprise folding the at least two flaps in sequence.

The folding step may include folding the opposing flaps on the lateral sides in sequence.

Another method for closing an open-top, generally rectangular container having four vertical sidewalls joined at respective corners where adjacent sidewalls meet may include the steps of: (a) vertically moving a support structure relative to the container; (b) detecting the height of the highest object in the container; (c) simultaneously vertically cutting the sidewall adjacent each corner of the container to a depth determined based on the height of the highest object detected in the container; (d) forming horizontal folding lines on respective side walls of the container at the same height determined according to the height of the highest object detected in the container; (e) folding the flaps formed by the vertical cutting and forming step inwardly from the vertical towards the horizontal as the container is moved to the capping station; and (f) applying a lid to the top side of the container over the inwardly folded flaps and securing the lid to the container.

The capping step may comprise providing the lid with flaps extending in orthogonal directions and the securing step comprises folding the flaps down over fold lines of the container and securing the flaps to respective side walls of the container.

The method may further comprise the steps of: an adhesive is applied to at least two flaps of the lid as the lid is moved from the storage box to the container.

A method of sizing a shipping container relative to the height of the tallest item in the shipping container may include the steps of: (a) detecting a height of a highest item in the shipping container; (b) positioning a cutting insert parallel to and at a predetermined distance from one of the detected side walls; and (c) moving the cutting insert a distance downward based on the detected height.

The cutting insert has a cutting edge, and in the cutting step, the method may further comprise the step of moving the cutting insert in a direction parallel to the cutting edge.

The cutting blade has a cutting edge, and the method may further comprise the step of supporting the cutting blade so that the cutting edge is not parallel to a sidewall of the container being cut.

In the cutting step, the method may further include the steps of: during retraction, the cutting blade is retracted in a direction away from the interior space of the container bounded by the vertical side walls when the cutting blade engages and cuts the side walls.

After the cutting step, the method may further comprise the steps of: horizontal fold lines are formed in the side walls of the container at the same height on all four side walls of the container.

These and other features of the present invention are explained in detail in the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a known shipping container.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a prior art container closure system.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a known lid blank used by the system of fig. 2 to close the top side of the container of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of an automated container closure system provided by the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary automatic closure system provided by the present invention with the flap closure assembly in a first station adjacent to the flap forming station and the frame assembly removed to more clearly show the flap forming station and the capping station.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the automatic closure system of fig. 5 with the flap closure assembly in a second station adjacent the capping station.

Fig. 7 is another perspective view of the automatic closure system of fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is another perspective view of the automatic closure system of fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a flap forming assembly in the automatic closure system of fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged front view of the cutting insert housing in the wing closure assembly of fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the cutting insert housing of fig. 10 with portions of the housing made transparent to show internal components.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the cutting insert housing of fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is another perspective view of the cutting insert housing of fig. 11 with portions of the housing removed to show internal components.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the cutting insert housing of fig. 10 as viewed from the container.

Fig. 15 is another enlarged perspective view of the flap forming assembly in the automatic closure system of fig. 6.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged perspective cross-sectional view of portions of the flap cutting and fold line forming assembly of the flap forming assembly of fig. 9.

Fig. 17 is another enlarged front perspective view of the automatic closure system of fig. 6.

Fig. 18 is another perspective view of the automatic closure system of fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a top perspective view of a flap folding station separated from the automatic closing system of fig. 6.

Fig. 20 is a front perspective view of the flap folding station of fig. 19.

Fig. 21 is an enlarged perspective view of the flap folding station of fig. 20.

Fig. 22 is another perspective view of the flap folding station of fig. 19.

Fig. 23 is a bottom perspective view of the flap folding station of fig. 19.

Fig. 24 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the flap folding station of fig. 19.

Fig. 25 is another perspective view of the flap folding station of fig. 24.

Fig. 26 is an enlarged perspective view of another portion of the flap folding station of fig. 19.

Fig. 27 is an enlarged perspective view of another portion of the flap folding station of fig. 26.

Fig. 28 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the flap folding station of fig. 27 as viewed from the opposite side.

Fig. 29 is another perspective view of the automatic closure system of fig. 6 with the panel forming assembly and the panel folding assembly omitted, leaving the capping station.

Fig. 30 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the capping station of fig. 29.

Fig. 31 is another perspective view of a portion of the capping station of fig. 29 without the container support structure.

Fig. 32 is another enlarged perspective view of a portion of the capping station of fig. 29.

Fig. 33 is another enlarged perspective view of a portion of the capping station of fig. 29.

Fig. 34 is another enlarged perspective view of a portion of the capping station of fig. 29.

Detailed Description

With reference to these figures, an exemplary system 40 provided in accordance with the present invention is schematically illustrated in fig. 4, and exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the remaining figures. This is an automated container closure system 40 that quickly and efficiently forms boxes of optimal height from rectangular containers 20. The terms "container" and "box" in this context mean the same thing. As shown in FIG. 1, container 20 generally has a rectangular bottom wall 42 and

upright side walls

46 and 48 circumscribing the periphery of bottom wall 42, with an open end at top 50, and

side walls

46 and 48 meeting at respective corners 52. Exemplary container 20 and lid blank 33 are formed from paperboard, particularly corrugated paperboard, which is recyclable, reusable, and formed primarily from renewable resources.

Referring now to fig. 4 and 5, the containers 20 move through the system 40 in a downstream direction 58 from the upstream end 54 to the downstream end 56. The upstream direction is opposite to the downstream direction. This downstream direction 58 may also be referred to as the axial direction, and the transverse direction 60 is perpendicular to the axial direction in the horizontal plane. Thus, the containers 20 moving through the system 40 have opposing axial sidewalls 46 perpendicular to the axial direction 58, and opposing lateral sidewalls 48 parallel to the axial direction 58.

The system 40 shown in fig. 4-8 includes a flap forming station 62, a flap folding station 64, and a capping station 66. The flap folding station 64 moves the container 20 from the flap forming station 62 to the capping station 66. The flap forming station 62 includes a sensor 70 that detects the level of the contents of the container 20 and a flap forming assembly 72 that cuts the opposing

side wall

46 or 48 vertically near the corner 52 of the container 20 and folds all four

side walls

46 and 48 at the distal ends of the cuts in the side walls to form horizontal fold lines based on information provided by the sensor 70. The flap folding station 64 includes a flap folding assembly 74 which folds the flap above the fold line inwardly 74. The flap folding assembly 74 may be mounted to a slide 76, the slide 76 transporting the container 20 from the flap forming station 62 to the capping station 66, wherein the flap forming assembly 74 folds the flaps inwardly while the slide 76 moves the container 20. The capping station 66 seals the closed container 20 and may include a capping assembly 78 that caps inwardly folded flaps in the container 20 to ensure that the contents are sealed therein 78. In some cases, such as when the flaps are sufficiently closed to the open end of the container 20, where the flaps can be attached to one another using a pre-applied adhesive material, a separate lid is not required and no further closing operation is required. In this case, the cover assembly 78 may be omitted. Without the closure assembly 78, the flap folding station 64 may move the container 20 from the flap forming station 62 to the closure station 66 for different operations, such as applying labels or the like, or directly to the location of the downstream end 56 of the system 40.

The container closure system 40 may also include a frame or frame assembly 79 that supports the components of the system 40, including a container support 80, the container support 80 generally supporting the container 20 from below as the container 20 moves through the system 40.

The system 40 also includes a controller 90 in communication with the flap forming station 62, the flap folding station 64, and the capping station 66 (if present).

Controller

The controller 90 is configured to control the various components of the system 40 and may include a processor, memory, and program instructions that enable the controller 90 to perform its functions. Controller 90 is in communication with each of

stations

62, 64, and 66 in system 40, and may be a single unit, or may be distributed across multiple units, such as discrete controllers associated with one or more respective components in system 40.

Wing plate forming station-sensor

Turning now to fig. 9, the sensor 70 is the first component of the system 40 that communicates with the controller 90 to indicate the height of the highest item in the container 20. The sensor 70 may be provided at a separate station or may be integrated into the panel forming station 62 and into the panel forming assembly 72 within the footprint of the container 20 at the panel forming station 62. The sensor 70 detects the height of the tallest item in the container 20 and transmits a signal indicative of the detected height to the controller 90. The detected height is used to determine the length of the vertical flap cut, the height of the horizontal fold line and the height of the flap fold assembly 74 on the slide 76.

In the illustrated embodiment, sensor 70 comprises one or more pressure panels, which are generally horizontal planar members sized to fit inside container 20 and coupled to a sensor element, such as a pressure sensor or the like, to detect when pressure panel 70 is in contact with the tallest item in container 20. As shown, the pressure plates may be perforated for weight reduction. Typically, the pressure plate is sized to be closely received through the open top 50 of the open side of the container 20. This ensures that the pressure panel is in contact with the tallest article in container 20, even if the tallest article is near

sidewall

46 or 48, and helps reduce the chance of pressure panel 70 catching any light weight articles in container 20 when the pressure panel is withdrawn from container 20. When the pressure panel enters container 20, it will contact the tallest articles in container 20. The illustrated sensor 70 provides an advantage over optical sensors in that optical sensors may detect a free paper sheet or another lightweight item in the container 20 as the highest item in the container 20. By using a pressure panel 70 and associated pressure sensor, a paper sheet or other lightweight packaging material in the container 20 is unlikely to mislead the illustrated sensor 70 to identify that portion of the packaging material as the highest item in the container 20.

However, the system 40 is not limited to the illustrated sensor 70 and may include any sensor that detects the height of the tallest item in the container 20, such as an optical sensor, a mechanical sensor that detects multiple zones in the container, and the like. Alternatively, the sensor 70 may include a warehouse management system that utilizes Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), bar codes or other identifiers and product size look-up tables stored in memory incorporated in the controller 90 or accessible by the controller 90 to identify items in the container 20.

In the illustrated system 40, the sensor 70 operates within the trajectory of the container 20 at the flap folding station 62 and is positioned above the container 20 such that the sensor 70 can view objects in the container 20 downwardly from the open top 50 of the container 20. Because the sensor 70 needs to detect the highest product in the container 20 to inform the flap forming assembly 72 of the action, the sensor 70 can begin inspecting the highest product in the container 20 before or during operation of the flap forming assembly 72, but must operate to detect the highest product in the container 20 at the same time or before the flap forming assembly 72 completes its operation.

Wing plate forming station-wing plate forming assembly

The flap forming assembly 72, also with the sensor 70, is at the flap forming station 62 and generally includes a flap cutting assembly 94 and a fold line forming assembly 96, the flap cutting assembly 94 cutting the

side walls

46 and 48 of the container 20 adjacent each corner 52, the fold line forming assembly 96 forming horizontal fold lines in the

side walls

46 and 48 of the container 20 to form flaps in all four sides of the container 20. The fold line forming assembly 96 may alternatively be referred to as a crease forming assembly or a pleating assembly. The fold line is formed at, above, or below the level of the tallest item, relative to the detected height of the tallest item detected in the container 20 by the sensor 70, and adjacent the distal end of the vertical cut-outs in the

side walls

46 and 48.

In addition to the flap cutting assembly 94 and pleating assembly 96, the flap forming assembly 72 includes a support structure 102 that is part of the frame assembly 100 and supports the flap cutting assembly 94 and pleating assembly 96 from above at an elevated position above the container 20 and container support 80. The support structure 102 includes a support plate 104 for mounting the flap cutting assembly 94 and the pleating assembly 96. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor 70, specifically a pressure plate, is mounted to a support plate 104 within the volume defined by the elements in the wing cutting assembly 94 and pleating assembly 96 to provide a more compact wing forming station 62.

The support structure 102 further includes vertical rails 106 and moving elements for vertically moving the support plate 104 along the rails 106, the rails 106 being supported above the container support 80 by the frame assembly 100. The support plate 104 may be moved relative to the vertical rail 106 by any means of moving an object, including pneumatic actuators, hydraulic actuators, servomotors, and the like. The wing forming assembly 72 shown employs a servo motor 108 to move the support plate 104 vertically along the rails 106 from a raised preparation position to a fold line forming or tucking position below the preparation position, which is a position based on the height detected by the sensor 70. The servo motor 108 may be provided with an encoder, also referred to as an encoder, to provide an output indicative of the distance the servo motor 108 moves the support plate 104 relative to the start or reset position above the container support 80. This vertical movement also provides a vertical cutting function and positions the pleating assembly 96 at a desired height to form a horizontal fold line.

Wing plate cutting assembly

The vertical cuts on the container 20 are made simultaneously by a flap cutter assembly 94, which consists of four separate cutter assemblies 112 to provide a means for cutting the respective vertical cuts near the respective corners 52 in the container 20. The cutting assembly 112 is mounted to the support plate 104 for vertical movement with the support plate 104.

In the embodiment shown in greater detail in fig. 9-16, each cutting assembly 112 includes a cutting blade 114 supported in a housing 116, the housing 116 being mounted at a distal end of a support arm 120, the support arm 120 being pivotally mounted to the support plate 104. Thus, the support arm 120 may also be referred to as a pivot arm. The pivot arm 120 is configured to move the housing 116 and the cutting blade 114 from a stop position away from the container 20 toward a cutting position spaced inwardly from the stop position and closer to the container 20. In the illustrated embodiment, an actuator 121 mounted between the support plate 104 and the proximal end of the pivot arm 120 moves the cutting blade 114 and the housing 116 from the stop position toward the cutting position, thereby pivoting the pivot arm 120 about a pivot axis defined by a pivot pin 122 on a scissor-type support arm 124 coupled to the pleating assembly 96.

As the housing 116 is moved axially inward by the pivot arm 120 of the cutting assembly 112, the housing 116 is also mounted for lateral movement relative to the distal end of the pivot arm 120 by a pair of parallel dovetail-type guide rails 125 and a housing actuator 126, the guide rails 125 and housing actuator 126 being mounted to the pivot arm 120 adjacent the housing 116. Accordingly, the housing 116 and the cutting blades 114 are moved laterally inward to position the cutting blades 114 over the side walls 46 of the container 20 to cut a predetermined distance from the corners 52 of the container 20. The wing cutting assembly 94 generally includes a pair of cutting blades 114 in each cutting assembly 112, a respective one of the two cutting blades 114 being in each of two parallel planes that are spaced apart by a distance less than the width of the container 20. In other words, the cutting blades 114 are spaced inwardly from the outer edge of the container 20, typically by a spacing slightly greater than the thickness of the wall of the container 20.

The dovetail guide 125 controls translational movement of the housing 116 relative to the pivot arm 120 in a lateral direction, laterally inward toward the cutting position. The dovetail guide 125 and the pivot arm 120 cooperate to move the housing 116 and the cutting blade 114 axially and laterally between a rest position and a cutting position.

To assist in maintaining the spacing between the corner 52 of the pocket 20 and the cutting blade 114 at the cutting location, a guide element (also referred to as a pocket stabilizer or stabilizing element 130) is mounted to the housing 116 and extends from the housing 116 at a location below the cutting blade 114 and spaced outwardly from the cutting blade 114. The stabilizing element 130 has a vertical control surface spaced from the cutting insert 114 in parallel planes. The stabilizing element 130 is configured to engage the lateral sidewall 48 of the container 20 to define a spacing between the corner 52 of the container 20 and a plane along which the cutting blade 114 cuts the axial sidewall 46. By attaching the stabilizing element 130 to the cutting insert housing 116, the stabilizing element 130 will always move with the cutting insert 114, and this stabilizing element 130 acts as a cutting guide defining a constant spacing between the cutting insert 114 and the adjacent side wall 48 of the container 20. The stabilizing elements 130 of adjacent pairs of cutting assemblies on each axial side of the container 20 engage the opposing lateral side walls 48 of the container 20 and cooperate to stabilize the lateral side walls 48 in the vicinity of the cutting blades 114 when cutting. Cutting includes any type of separation of the container material, i.e., severing one portion of the container 20 from another portion of the container 20.

The housing 116 may also include a stabilizing guide roller 132 positioned below the cutting blade 114, the stabilizing guide roller 132 riding against the axial side wall 46 of the container 20 being cut adjacent the corner 52 formed with the lateral side wall 48. The stabilizing guide roller 132 is a stabilizing element that stabilizes the wall of the container 20 being cut and moves with the cutting blade 114 to counteract the outward force generated by the cutting blade 114 when the cutting blade 114 acts on the wall of the container 20. The stabilizing rollers of the opposing cutting assemblies axially stabilize the container 20 between the opposing cutting assemblies 112 engaging opposite axial sides of the container 20, and thus, the container 20 is sandwiched between all four cutting assemblies 112 and stabilized adjacent the respective cutting blades 114 during the cutting operation.

The cutting location is typically predetermined based on the size of the container 20. However, one or more sensors may alternatively be used to determine or adjust the cutting position to provide a feedback signal that automates the positioning of the housing 116 and cutting blade 114 relative to the

side walls

46 and 48 of the container 20. In the cutting position, the cutting insert 114 extends perpendicular to and through the plane of the sidewall 46 to be cut.

The cutting assembly 112 also includes a cutting motor 134 or other means for moving the cutting blade 114 relative to the housing 116. The cutting blade 114 has a cutting edge 136 and is coupled to a cutting motor 134 to feed the cutting blade 114 axially forward in a forward direction substantially parallel to the cutting edge 136 prior to a cutting operation and to retract the cutting blade 114 in a direction opposite the forward direction as the cutting blade 114 moves vertically downward with the support plate 104 during the cutting operation. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 116 supports the cutting insert 114 in a vertical plane with the cutting edge 136 in a non-horizontal orientation. The cutting blade 114 is coupled to a rack 140 for movement with the rack 140, and the cutting motor 134 is coupled to the housing 116 and a pinion 142 that engages the rack 140 to urge the cutting blade 114 back and forth relative to the housing 116. To control the extended and retracted positions of the cutting blades 114, the pinion gear 142 is coupled to a control arm 144, the control arm 144 rotating with the pinion gear 142 between respective control switches or

position sensors

146, 148 mounted to the housing 116 and positioned circumferentially along the path of the control arm 144. The control switches 146, 148 are positioned to correspond to the extended and retracted positions of the cutting blade 114 and output a signal that informs the cutting motor 134 to stop operating when engaged with the control arm 144.

The cutting insert 114 is axially advanced and retracted along an axis and parallel to the cutting edge 136, the axis being inclined with respect to the horizontal plane by about 10 ° to 80 °, more preferably about 20 ° to 70 °, more preferably about 30 ° to 60 °, and more preferably about 40 ° to 50 °. The cutting motor 134 is controlled to extend the cutting blades 114 to their extended position prior to engagement with the top of the side walls 46 of the container 20 and to retract the cutting blades 114 axially outwardly to their retracted position as the cutting blades 114 move vertically downwardly, thereby cutting the side walls 46 until the distal end of the cut is reached, in response to a signal generated by the sensor 70 detecting the highest product in the container 20.

Thus, during a cutting operation, as the cutting blades 114 move vertically downward, the cutting blades 114 move back axially outward away from the opposing cutting blades 114 adjacent the opposing axial side walls 46 of the container 20. As the cutting blade 114 moves outwardly, a different portion of the cutting blade 114 engages the side wall 46 of the container 20, thereby cutting through the side wall 46 as the cutting blade 114 moves only in an outward direction. The cutting action produces minimal dust and utilizes a greater range along the length of the cutting edge 136, thereby sequentially engaging portions of the cutting edge 136 with the side wall 46 to maximize the time between sharpening or replacing the cutting insert 114. Because the cutting edge 136 is inclined, the cutting blade 114 is also inclined upwardly into the container 20, which minimizes the effort required to cut the side wall 46 of the container 20. Further, because the cutting blade 114 is oriented obliquely upward, the pivot arm 120 is driven at the distal end of the cut to move the cutting blade 114 out of engagement with the side wall 46, thereby minimizing additional cutting of the side wall 46. In addition, the angled or sloped cutting blade 114 is more easily moved through the side wall 46 of the container.

In contrast, a static cutting insert 114, which moves only vertically downward, wears, heats up and generates more dust at the narrow portion of the cutting edge. Furthermore, vibrating the rapidly oscillating cutting blades, moving the cutting blades 114 back and forth through the side wall of the container multiple times in opposite directions, produces more dust than the static cutting blades 114. Thus, by moving the cutting blade 114 during cutting to expose more of the cutting edge 136 to the side wall 46 of the container 20 without reversing direction, the cutting blade 114 lasts longer and generates less dust than in the prior art. Holding the cutting blade 114 at a non-horizontal angle allows more of the cutting edge 136 to engage the side wall 46 of the container 20 and reduces the force required to move the cutting blade 114 through the side wall 46 of the container 20.

Some paperboard containers have a partial double wall adjacent a corner where the container has been erected, and typically the double wall is located on a lateral side wall 48 of the container. Thus, the container 20 typically only cuts the axial sidewall 46 of the container 20 to avoid the double-walled portion. As a result, the cutting insert 114 is generally spaced from the outer edge of the corner 52 by a distance equal to at least twice the thickness of the

side wall

46 or 48. Thus, when the sidewall is cut by the cutting blade 114, the portion of the axial sidewall 46 adjacent the corner 52 may remain attached to the adjacent lateral sidewall 48 to form a flange between the vertical cut of the container 20 and the corner 52. Typically, this additional flange is pushed outwardly as the flap formed by the transverse side wall 48 is folded downwardly towards a position in-plane with the transverse flap when the latter is closed, thereby allowing the flap to lie flat in a horizontal orientation.

In operation, when the container 20 reaches the wing plate forming station, the cutting blades 114 extend and move the housing 116 inwardly from the rest position into the cutting position, thereby engaging the

respective side walls

46 and 48 at each corner 52 of the container 20 and clamping the container 20 between the cutting assemblies 112. Once the housing 116 is in position against the side of the container 20 and the cutting blades 114 are extended, the cutting assembly 112 is ready to cut the side wall 46 of the container 20. All four cutting assemblies 112 may be moved into position simultaneously without requiring one cutting assembly 112 to wait for another cutting assembly 112. The support plate 104 moves vertically downward to begin cutting, and the cutting blade 114 cuts through the side wall 46 to stop at a predetermined distance from the top of the uppermost article detected by the sensor 70. During the cutting operation, the cutting blade 114 is axially withdrawn to continuously feed a new portion of the cutting edge 136 to the sidewall 46 of the container 20 being cut. At the distal end of the cut-out, the pivoting arm 120 moves the cutting blade 114 axially outward, out of engagement with the side wall 46 of the container 20, and the actuator 126 may move the housing 116 laterally outward on the dovetail rail 125 to a stop position when the cutting blade 114 is disengaged from the container 20. Once the fold lines are formed in the

side walls

46 and 48, the support panel 104 may be returned to its elevated, ready position to prepare for the next container 20.

Fold line forming assembly

The fold line forming assembly 96 (or simply crease forming assembly or pleating assembly) forms a horizontal fold line on each

sidewall

46 and 48 by pinching each

sidewall

46 and 48 between a pair of pleating elements 158 between the distal ends of the vertical cuts in the sidewalls formed by the flap cutting assembly 94, the pleating elements 158 creasing, or otherwise softening the

sidewalls

46 and 48 of the container 20 to form fold lines on all four

sidewalls

46 and 48. The fold lines are typically formed in a horizontal plane, in horizontal lines on all four sides of the container. The fold lines constitute hinges and hinge axes about which the flaps will rotate generally inwardly toward the interior of the container 20 when a force is applied to the flap above the fold lines.

The tucking assembly 96 forms a fold line after the sensor 70 detects the height of the highest product in the container 20, and may be operated to form a fold line before, during, or after the flap cutting assembly 94 cuts the

side walls

46 and 48 of the container. Each pair of pleating elements 158 may form fold lines in all four

side walls

46 and 48 simultaneously, in a manner that is sequential to the pair of opposing

side walls

46 or 48, or to all four

side walls

46 and 48.

The pleating element 158 includes an inner pleating member 160 and an outer pleating member 162. The pleating elements 158 are generally of the same length and are therefore generally sized such that the inner pleating member 160 is received within the container 20. One of the pleating elements 158, such as an inner pleating member 160 within the container 20, may also be perforated on the inner surface of the

sidewall

46 or 48.

The pleating elements 158 are supported at the distal ends of respective scissor arm assemblies 166, the proximal ends of the scissor arm assemblies 166 being connected to the support plate 104. Each scissor arm assembly 166 includes a pair of

scissor arms

170 and 172 connected together at a central point by pivot pin 122. One scissor arm 170 may be pivotally mounted to the support plate 104 and the other scissor arm 172 may be coupled to a scissor actuator 174 mounted to the support plate 104 to cause pinching movement of the pleating element 158. The

scissor arms

170 and 172 may be pivotally connected to each other between their proximal and distal ends by a pivot pin 122. Thus, the inner and

outer pleating members

160 and 162 are connected to the support plate 104 by the

scissor arms

170 and 172 and the scissor actuator 174 in the following manner: prior to activation, the inner and

outer pleating members

160, 162 are spaced apart and may be lowered to the fold-forming tucking position with the

sidewall

46 or 48 of the container 20 between the inner and

outer pleating members

160, 162. Actuation of the scissor actuators 174 moves the inner and

outer pleating members

160, 162 together toward each other to hem the

side wall

46 or 48 of the container 20 between the inner and

outer pleating members

160, 162. In other words, the actuators and support structure of the pleating element 158 are configured to move the inner and

outer pleating members

160, 162 to hem the

side wall

46 or 48 of the container 20 to form a fold line.

The fold line may be continuous and may or may not extend all the way to each corner 52 of the container 20 with the

side walls

46 or 48 extending between the corners. The inner and

outer pleating members

160 and 162 generally span the entire distance between adjacent corners 52 of adjacent surfaces of the

side walls

46 or 48 of the container 20. To accommodate different sized containers, the inner and outer crimping

members

160 and 162 mounted to the distal ends of the

scissor arms

170 and 172 may be replaced with crimping elements 158 of appropriate length, and the position of the scissor arm assembly 166 is adjustable relative to the support plate 104. To facilitate adjustment, the illustrated support plate 104 includes parallel slots to move each scissor arm assembly 166 inward or outward to accommodate a range of container sizes. For different sized containers, the distance of movement of the inner and

outer pleating members

160, 162 between a stop position spaced from the

sidewall

46 or 48 of the container 20 and a tucked position where both the inner and

outer pleating members

160, 162 engage the

sidewall

46 or 48 of the container 20 may be kept constant.

When the container 20 reaches the wing forming station 62, the wing cutting assembly 94 moves the cutting blade 114 to the extended cutting position and the sensor 70 operates to detect the highest product in the container 20. The sensor in the illustrated embodiment includes a pressure plate 70 suspended below a support plate 104. As the support plate 104 is lowered, the cutting blade 114 simultaneously cuts the side wall 46 of the container 20 adjacent all four corners 52 from the top edge of the side wall 46 to the distal end of the cut that is based on the detected height of the highest product in the container 20. For example, sensor 70 may output a signal to indicate when the pressure panel engages the highest article in container 20, and controller 90 may disable servo motor 108 upon receiving the signal. The minimum height of the contents of the container 20 in the container is typically 25mm to 60 mm. The pleating assembly 96 forms horizontal fold lines on the

side walls

46 and 48 of the container 20 that are a predetermined distance from the height of the highest product detected in the container 20, and the servo motor 108 is reversed, thereby lifting the support plate 104, flap cutter member 94 and pleating assembly 96 back to a ready position above the container 20. The formation of the flaps in the

side walls

46 and 48 of the container 20 is completed and the flaps are then ready to be folded inwardly.

Wing plate folding station

Unlike prior container closure systems that use conveyors to convey a series of containers through the system, the present invention provides a container closure system 40 that uses a slider 76 as a base for a movable flap folding station 64 to move the container 20 from the flap forming station 62 to the capping station 66. The slide 76 includes a carriage that translates with the container 20, and the carriage may include a means of holding the container 20 to the carriage, and/or one or more other mechanisms that move with the carriage. Unlike the vertically moving components of the flap forming assembly 72, the flap folding station 64 moves the containers 20 horizontally downstream from the flap forming station 62 along the container support 80 to the capping station 66, thereby simultaneously moving one or more containers 20 through the system 40.

Turning now specifically to fig. 18-28, the illustrated slide 76 can simultaneously move two containers 20 from an entry position at the upstream end 54 of the container support 80, then downstream to the flap forming station 62, the capping station 66, and then downstream to an exit position at the downstream end 56 of the container support 80. Power conveyors upstream and downstream of the system 40 can transport containers to an entrance location and retrieve containers from an exit location, however the slides 76 move the containers 20 through the system 40. For example, the container 20 may be retrieved from the entry location and moved to the flap forming station 62 while the container 20 is disengaged from the flap forming station 62 and moved to the capping station 66. Alternatively, the container 20 may be moved from the flap forming station 62 to the capping station 66 while the slide 76 moves the container 20 from the capping station 66 to an output location downstream of the capping station 66.

A flap folding assembly 74 is mounted to the slide 76 and is configured to fold flaps on the container 20 inwardly from a generally vertical orientation aligned with the

side walls

46 and 48 of the container 20 to a generally horizontal orientation extending over the open top 50 of the container 20. The flaps are portions of the

side walls

46 and 48 between the vertical cuts formed by the cutting assembly 94 and above the fold lines formed by the pleating assembly 96. Thus, the flap folding station 64 provided by the present invention saves time by folding the flaps inwardly while moving the container 20 to the capping station 66.

Slide 76 includes a pair of driven

friction plates

190 and 191 that move under container support 80.

Driven friction plates

190 and 191 are coupled for common horizontal movement along container support 80, and driven

friction plates

190 and 191 are connected to means for moving slide 76 along container support 80. The container support 80 may serve as a support frame to support the slide 76 and container 20, while also serving to guide the slide 76 or container 20 or both.

Driven friction plates

190 and 191 have upstream and downstream

axial clamping fingers

192 and 194 that extend above the container support 80 to engage the axial sidewall 46 of the container 20. Axial

gripping fingers

192 and 194 may be retracted below the upper surface of container support 80 to allow slide 76 to move to engage the next container 20. For example, the slide 76 may move the container 20 to the capping station 66, retract the axial clamping fingers 192, and move to the wing forming station 62 to engage the container 20 at the wing forming station 62. While axial

gripping fingers

192 and 194 axially capture container 20 therebetween, slide 76 may further include lateral gripping fingers 196, which lateral gripping fingers 196 may engage lateral side wall 48 to laterally clamp side wall 48 therebetween.

The flap folding assembly 74 is mounted for horizontal movement with the slide 76 and includes two sets of

flap folding fingers

202 and 204, the

flap folding fingers

202 and 204 being pivotally mounted to respective platforms 206 on laterally spaced opposite sides of the container support 80 for engaging the container 20 therebetween. Each set of wing-fold fingers includes a transverse wing-closure finger 202 and an axial wing-closure finger 204.

Flap fold

fingers

202 and 204 are mounted for rotation about the proximal end and engage the

adjacent side wall

46 or 48 of container 20 above the fold line and push the flaps inwardly with the portion of flap fold

fingers

202 or 204 extending from the proximal end toward the distal end. Accordingly, the flap folding assembly 74 also includes means for adjusting the vertical position of its

flap folding fingers

202 and 204 in accordance with the position of the fold line, which is determined relative to the height of the tallest item in the container 20 as detected by the sensor 70.

Platform 206 is coupled to the vertical track for vertical movement relative to container support 80 and is controlled to move flap fold

fingers

202 and 204 to the appropriate height relative to the fold line. The platform 206 is laterally movable between a transport position laterally spaced from the path of the containers 20 on the container support 80 and a folded position horizontally remote from the transport position where the flap lateral folding fingers 202 engage the lateral side walls 48 of the containers 20. The axial wing fold fingers 204 may also pivot about a vertical axis such that they rotate approximately 90 deg. to a folded position in the path of the container 20 and engage the axial side walls 46 of the container 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the axial flap fold fingers 204 from each lateral side of the container support 80 cooperate to fold the axial flaps inwardly. Alternatively, one or more axial wing folding fingers 204 may be pivoted from a common side of the container support 80 to engage the axial side wall 46 and fold the axial wing without the assistance of the wing folding fingers 204 supported on the opposing platform 206.

In the illustrated embodiment, each

wing folding finger

202 and 204 is mounted near the proximal end of the crankshaft 210 and extends from the crankshaft 210 and is rotatable with the crankshaft 210 from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation to push the adjacent wing to move the wing from a vertical open orientation aligned with the

side wall

46 or 48 toward a horizontal closed orientation extending over the open top 50 of the container 20. A plurality of wing fold

fingers

202 and 204 may be mounted to a common crankshaft 210 and a plurality of wing fold fingers may act on each wing. The crankshaft 210 may be continuous or may be comprised of a plurality of segments that act together to rotate the wing fold

fingers

202 and 204 toward the container 20.

Once the wing fold

fingers

202 and 204 are engaged with the

respective side walls

46 and 48 of the container 20, in the wing closed position, rotation of the crankshaft 210 rotates the wing fold

fingers

202 and 204 to push the wings above the fold lines, thereby pushing the wings inward. Typically, one of the opposing axial or transverse pair of

wing folding fingers

202 or 204 operates to fold the opposing wing before the other of the opposing axial or transverse pair of

wing folding fingers

202 or 204 operates to close the opposing wing. The flaps are typically folded inwardly in sequence to allow for possible overlap of the opposing flaps with one another. If the wings are too short to overlap, the opposite wings may be folded inwards at the same time, while the intersecting pairs of wings are folded inwards in sequence, which means that for example the axial wings may be folded simultaneously and then the transverse wings may be folded simultaneously. The flap fold

fingers

202 and 204 are substantially flat, which allows the orthogonal flaps to be folded over the top of the flap fold

fingers

202 or 204 so that the flap fold

fingers

202 and 204 can hold the folded flaps closed in a horizontal orientation as the slider 70 moves the container 20 to the capping station 66. At or before the capping station 66, the axial wing fold fingers 204 are rotated about a vertical axis so that they do not engage the containers 20, and the crankshaft 210 rotates the wing fold

fingers

202 and 204 from the horizontal wing fold position to their vertical position. This is typically applied in situations where the flaps cannot be returned to their vertical orientation, for example when a lid is placed over the inwardly folded flaps. Specifically, once the lid is positioned above the container 20 at a distance less than the length of the flaps so that the flaps cannot open beyond the lid, or once the adhesive or other means that has the flaps secured in their horizontal orientation has been activated, once the

flap folding fingers

202 and 204 have been retracted and rotated back to the vertical orientation, the platforms 206 that support the

flap folding fingers

202 and 204 move outward, and the slides 76 move the flap folding assembly 74 upstream in preparation for moving the next container or containers.

The illustrated flap folding assembly 74 also includes a glue assembly 220 that assists the cover assembly 78. Glue assembly 220 includes a supply of adhesive in an adhesive dispenser 222 mounted to platform 206. As the slide 76 moves upstream to engage the container 20 at the flap forming station 62, the height of the flap folding assembly 74 relative to the fold line adjusts the position of the platform 206 vertically to the desired position. As the platform 206, and in particular the adhesive dispenser 222, moves upstream past the lateral side walls 48, the adhesive dispenser 222 is controlled to apply a line of adhesive along each opposing outward facing lateral side wall 48, on the lateral side wall 48 of the container 20 below the fold line. The adhesive will help secure the lid to the container 20 at the capping station 66. As such, the glue assembly 220 includes an adhesive dispenser 222 that moves horizontally with the slide 76, and the glue assembly 220 is positioned vertically at the appropriate height with the

flap folding fingers

202 and 204 on the flap folding assembly 76 based on the height detected by the sensor 70 to apply adhesive to the lateral side walls 48 of the container 20 as the slide 76 moves the container 20 from the flap forming station 62 to the capping station 66.

Capping station

Referring now specifically to fig. 29-34, the capping station 66 includes a capping assembly 78 that applies the caps to the inwardly folded flaps and secures the caps to the containers 20 for transport. The cap may also be referred to as a hat. The lid is formed from a flat lid blank 33 as shown in fig. 3. The exemplary lid blank 33 has a body portion 34 of approximately rectangular shape, with dimensions approximately that of a rectangular bottom wall 42 of the container 20, and cooperates with the inwardly folded flaps to form a top wall of the container 20. Extending from each of the four sides of the generally rectangular body portion 34 are

tabs

35 and 36, and include an axial tab 35 corresponding to an axial sidewall 46 of the container 20 and a transverse tab 36 corresponding to a transverse sidewall 48 of the container 20. Alternatively, the

flaps

35 and 36 may be separated from the rectangular main body portion 34 by fold lines. However, other shapes may also be provided, such as a rectangular cover that is secured only to the inwardly folded flap and does not extend over or be secured to the

side wall

46 or 48.

The capping assembly 78 includes a storage case 240 from which the cap blanks 33 are extracted, and a device 242 for removing the cap blanks 33 from the storage case 240. In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus 242 includes a pivoting suction arm 244, and the pivoting suction arm 244 pulls the cover blank 33 from the storage box 240 and rotates the cover blank 33 from a vertical orientation to a substantially horizontal orientation. The apparatus 242 further includes a horizontally movable carriage 246 having laterally spaced handles 250, the carriage 246 being configured to grasp the lid blank 33 and move it to a capping position over the container 20. Adhesive dispenser 252 applies adhesive to axial flap 35 of cover blank 33 as carrier 246 is moved from storage bin 240 to the capping position. The bracket 246 then moves the lid blank 33 vertically downwardly to the top of the container 20 where the flaps have been folded inwardly so that the container 20 is at the level of the fold lines. Whether the fold lines are pre-applied or formed by a folding operation, flaps 35 and 36 are folded down onto

respective side walls

46 and 48 of container 20 and heat is applied to activate the adhesive between

flaps

35 and 36 and

side walls

46 and 48 to secure lid blank 33 to container 20. Recall that adhesive is applied to the axial tabs 35 by the closure assembly 78 and to the lateral side walls 48 of the container 20 by the glue assembly 220 associated with the flap folding assembly 74. The pivoting closure 260 folds the

flaps

35 and 36 down onto the

side walls

46 and 48 of the container 20, the pre-applied adhesive on the lateral side walls 48 of the container 20 adhering the lateral flaps 36 to the lateral side walls 48, and the adhesive applied on the axial flaps 35 of the lid blank 33 adhering the axial flaps 35 to the axial side walls 46. As such, the container 20 is ready for labeling and shipping.

The exemplary system provided by the present invention contemplates the ability to process more than fifteen containers per minute.

In summary, the present invention provides a system 40 for closing a shipping container 20 having an open top end 50 that includes a slide 76 and a flap folding assembly 74, the slide 76 being capable of moving the container 20 between a first station 62 and a second station 66 spaced from the first station 62, the flap folding assembly 74 being movable with the slide 76. The flap folding assembly 74 is configured to fold the flaps of the container 20 inwardly as the slides 76 move the container 20 between the first and

second stations

62, 66. The first station 62 may be a flap forming station that forms flaps in the

vertical side walls

46 and 48 of the container 20, and the second station may be a capping station 66 that places caps on the inwardly folded flaps and secures the caps to the container 20.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain embodiments, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification. The present invention includes all such equivalent changes and modifications, and is limited only by the scope of the following claims. Furthermore, the corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.

Claims

1. A system for closing a shipping container, comprising:

a first station;

a second station spaced from the first station; and

a slide configured to move a container between the first and second stations, and a flap folding assembly movable with the slide, the flap folding assembly configured to fold flaps of the container inwardly as the slide moves the container between the first and second stations.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 or any claim dependent on claim 1, wherein the first station comprises a flap forming assembly configured to form a flap from a side wall of a container having a bottom wall and an upright side wall extending from a periphery of the bottom wall for defining an enclosed space having an upwardly open top end.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or any claim dependent on claim 1, wherein the second station is a container closing station and optionally comprises a lid assembly configured to apply a lid to close the container, wherein the container has an upwardly open top end.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 or any claim dependent on claim 1, wherein the slider is movable along a path extending in an axial direction and the flap folding assembly comprises opposed flap closures coupled to the slider for movement therewith, the flap closures being spaced apart along the path and movable towards each other to fold flaps of the container inwardly.

5. A flap forming assembly as set forth in claim 4 or any claim dependent on claim 4 wherein said flap closer includes an axial flap closer and a transverse flap closer coupled to said slider for movement therewith, said transverse flap closer being spaced apart on opposite transverse sides of said path and movable toward each other to fold flaps inwardly parallel to said axial direction.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or any claim dependent on claim 4 in which the flap closure is vertically adjustable relative to the slider.

7. A method for closing an open-top, generally rectangular shipping container having four vertical sidewalls connected at respective corners where adjacent sidewalls meet, the method comprising the steps of:

moving a container between a first station and a second station while folding one or more flaps of the container inwardly; and

wherein the moving step comprises moving elements of a flap fold assembly with the container between the first station and the second station.

8. A method according to claim 7 or any claim dependent on claim 7 wherein the folding step comprises folding at least two flaps in sequence.

9. A method for adjusting the height of an open-top, generally rectangular shipping container having four vertical sidewalls connected at respective corners where adjacent sidewalls meet, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a height of a highest item in the shipping container;

positioning a cutting blade above the container at a predetermined distance from one of the side walls in the vicinity of the corner, the cutting blade having a cutting edge in a non-horizontal orientation; and

moving the cutting insert a distance downward based on the detected height;

wherein, in the moving step, the side wall is cut by sequentially engaging the side wall with different portions of the cutting edge using the cutting edge of the cutting insert, wherein the cutting insert is moved outward in one direction in the cutting step.

10. A system for forming a flap in an open-top container, the container having a rectangular bottom wall and four vertical side walls extending from the periphery of the bottom wall and forming corners where adjacent side walls meet, the container being supported by a support, the flap forming system comprising:

(a) a frame supporting a movable structure that is vertically movable relative to a support of the container;

(b) a sensor coupled to the frame for detecting a height of a highest object in the container on the support; and

(c) four cutting assemblies connected to the movable structure to move with the movable structure to form vertical cuts in the side wall near each corner of the container, the depth of the cut being determined by the height of the highest object detected in the container.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10 or any claim dependent on claim 10, wherein the frame comprises a motor for moving the moveable structure.

12. The system of claim 11 or any claim dependent on claim 11, comprising a controller in communication with the motor and the sensor, the controller suspending further downward movement of the support structure by the motor after receiving a signal from the sensor.

13. The system of claim 10 or any claim dependent on claim 10, wherein the sensor comprises a rectangular plate suspended below the movable structure, the rectangular plate being smaller than a bottom wall of the container for accommodation in the container, and an indicator configured to output a signal when the rectangular plate contacts a highest object in the container.

14. A system according to claim 10 or any claim dependent on claim 10, further comprising (d) four flap-forming assemblies connected to the movable structure for movement therewith to form horizontal fold lines in respective side walls of the container at a common height determined in accordance with the height of the highest object detected in the container, and optionally wherein the cutting assembly and flap-forming assemblies are interspersed within a common horizontal cross-sectional area and the sensor is also located in that area.

15. The system of claim 10 or any claim dependent on claim 10, wherein the cutting assembly comprises two cutting blades in each of two parallel planes, the planes being spaced apart by a distance less than the width of the container.

16. The system of claim 10 or any claim dependent on claim 10, wherein each cutting assembly comprises a cutting blade having a cutting edge that is inclined with respect to a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

17. The system of claim 10 or any claim dependent on claim 10, wherein each cutting assembly comprises:

(i) a cutting insert support;

(ii) a container stabilizer coupled to the cutting blade support, the container stabilizer configured to engage a respective sidewall of the container proximate a respective corner of the container where the sidewall intersects an adjacent sidewall to limit displacement of the container during a cutting operation; and

(iii) a cutting blade coupled to the cutting blade support such that when the container stabilizer engages the container, the cutting blade is positioned a predetermined distance from the container stabilizer such that when the movable structure moves downward, the cutting blade cuts an adjacent sidewall.

18. The system of claim 17 or any claim dependent on claim 17, wherein the container stabilizer comprises two container stabilizers arranged at right angles to each other to engage the side wall and an adjacent side wall respectively.

19. A system as claimed in claim 17 or any claim dependent on claim 17, wherein the cutting insert support is movable relative to the movable structure between an operative position and a reset position outwardly remote from the operative position.

20. A system for forming a flap in an open-top, generally rectangular container having four vertical sidewalls, the system comprising:

a frame assembly vertically movable relative to a support of the container; and

four fold line forming assemblies connected to the frame assembly and configured to form horizontal fold lines in respective side walls of the container;

wherein the fold line forming assembly is mounted to the frame assembly so as to be adjustable in respective orthogonal directions to accommodate a range of container sizes.

21. The system of claim 20 or any claim dependent on claim 20, wherein the fold line forming assembly is configured to form at least two fold lines simultaneously.

22. A method for adjusting a system for forming a strake in an open-top, generally rectangular shipping container having four vertical sidewalls for different sized containers, the system comprising: a frame assembly vertically movable relative to a support for the container; and four fold line forming assemblies in the walls of the containers, each fold line forming assembly comprising opposing horizontal fold line forming members movable toward and away from each other to grip the side walls therebetween to form horizontal fold lines that facilitate folding an upper portion of the side walls above the fold lines to a horizontal direction from a vertical direction relative to a lower portion of the side walls below the fold lines; the method comprises the following steps:

moving at least two of said fold line forming assemblies in a direction towards or away from each other on said frame assembly to accommodate different sizes of shipping containers; and

the opposing fold-line forming members in the two fold-line forming assemblies are replaced to provide fold-line forming members that extend the width of the side walls of the container in which the fold lines are to be formed.

23. The method of claim 22 or any claim dependent on claim 22, in a system having a sensor for detecting the height of the tallest item in the shipping container, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure panel horizontally supported by the frame assembly and configured to be received in the shipping container; the method further comprises the step of replacing the pressure panel with a pressure panel configured to be received in a shipping container of a different size.

24. A method of adjusting a system for forming a flap in an open-top container having a rectangular bottom wall and four vertical side walls extending from the periphery of the bottom wall and forming corners where adjacent side walls meet, the system comprising a frame assembly vertically movable relative to a support of the container; and four flap forming assemblies at respective corners thereof forming flaps, each flap cutting assembly including a container stabilizer for engaging a respective sidewall of the container and a cutting blade positionable to vertically cut the sidewall of the container a predetermined distance from an adjacent sidewall of the container as the frame assembly is moved downwardly, the method comprising the steps of:

moving the cutting blade from a reset position spaced from the container to a cutting position in which the cutting blade is directly above a sidewall of the container; and

the cutting position is adjusted to accommodate shipping containers of different sizes.

25. A method for closing an open-top, generally rectangular shipping container having four vertical sidewalls connected at respective corners where adjacent sidewalls meet, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) vertically moving a support structure relative to the container;

(b) detecting the height of the highest object in the container;

(c) simultaneously vertically cutting the sidewall adjacent each corner of the container to a depth determined based on the detected height of the highest object in the container;

(d) forming horizontal fold lines in respective side walls of the container at a common height determined according to a detected height of a highest object in the container; and

(e) the flaps formed by the vertical cutting and forming step are folded inwardly from the vertical towards the horizontal as the container is moved to the capping station.

26. The method of claim 25 or any claim dependent on claim 25, wherein the capping step comprises providing the cap with flaps extending in orthogonal directions, and the securing step comprises folding the flaps down onto the crease lines of the container and securing the flaps to the respective side walls of the container.

27. The method of claim 26 or any claim dependent on claim 26, further comprising: a capping step of applying a cap to the top side of the container on the inwardly folded flap; and a securing step of securing the lid to the container, wherein the securing step preferably comprises applying adhesive to at least two tabs of the lid as the lid is moved from the storage box to the container.

28. A method for sizing a shipping container relative to the height of the tallest item in the shipping container, comprising the steps of:

detecting a height of a highest item in the shipping container;

positioning a cutting insert parallel to and at a predetermined distance from one of the detected side walls; and

moving the cutting insert a distance downward based on the detected height.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28 or any claim dependent on claim 28, wherein the cutting insert has a cutting edge, and in the cutting step, the method further comprises the step of moving the cutting insert in a direction parallel to the said direction.

30. A method as claimed in claim 28 or any claim dependent on claim 28, wherein the cutting blade has a cutting edge, and the method further comprises the step of supporting the cutting blade so that the cutting edge is non-parallel with a side wall of the shipping container being cut.

31. A method according to claim 28 or any claim dependent on claim 28, wherein in the cutting step the cutting blade is retracted in a direction away from the interior space of the container defined by the vertical side wall, while in the retracting step the cutting blade engages and cuts the side wall.

32. A method as claimed in claim 28 or any claim dependent on claim 28, further comprising the step of forming horizontal fold lines in the side walls of the container at a common height on all four sides of the container.

33. A system for closing a shipping container, comprising:

a first station;

a second station spaced from the first station; and

a slide for moving a container from the first station to the second station, and a glue assembly movable relative to the slide, the glue assembly being configured to apply adhesive to a sidewall of the container as the slide moves from the second station to the first station for subsequent attachment of an article to the sidewall of the container, the glue assembly preferably being mounted for movement with the slide.

34. A method according to claim 32 or any claim dependent on claim 32, comprising applying adhesive to the container adjacent the fold line as the slider is moved axially into position adjacent the container.